Food security organizations have officially declared a state of famine in the Zanzam camp near El Fasher, Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering amidst a civil war that has ravaged the region for 15 months. This declaration, made by the United Nations-backed Famine Review Committee (FRC), marks a dire warning of the severe toll being exacted on the population.
The Zanzam camp, which has seen its population swell to around half a million since the conflict began, has been grappling with famine since June. Official declarations of famine are rare, with this being only the third such declaration by the FRC in the past 20 years and the first in over 7 years. These declarations serve as urgent calls for increased international aid to prevent further loss of life.
The conflict in Sudan, particularly in North Darfur state where El Fasher is located, has been fueled by clashes between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The war has left much of the country, including the capital Khartoum, in ruins, leading to what the UN has termed one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory.
With more than 10 million internally displaced persons and over 25 million facing acute hunger in Sudan, the situation is dire. The FRC report, while focused on the Zanzam camp, also highlights the broader risk of famine across Sudan due to ongoing conflict and limited humanitarian access.
The World Food Programme (WFP) had previously warned of the dire food situation in Darfur, where people were resorting to eating grass and peanut shells to survive. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines famine as extreme food deprivation leading to starvation, death, and severe malnutrition.
Both the FRC and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network have issued famine declarations for the Zanzam camp, with concerns that the crisis could spread to other parts of El Fasher. The groups anticipate the famine lasting until at least October, emphasizing the urgent need for warring parties to ensure the delivery of essential services to mitigate the severity of the situation.
As the primary driver of the famine is the ongoing conflict, efforts to address and resolve the conflict are seen as crucial in preventing further escalation of the crisis in Sudan.
